Handy wire splicer



Aug. 23, 1960 J. MILLA HANDY WIRE sPLIcER Filed July 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH MILLA Aug. 23, 1960 J. MlLLA HANDY WIRE SPLICER Filed Jui 15, 1957 I. 1:; Hi

JOSEPH Ml LLA 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HANDY WIRE SPLICER Joseph Milla, Flushing, N.Y., assignor of one-fourth to Maria Barrios and one-fourth to Clement Barrios, both of Brooklyn, NY.

Filed July 15, 1957, Ser. No. 672,083

1 Claim. (Cl. 140-115) This invention relates to wire splicers or related devices, and more particularly, has reference to a comparatively small, manually operated splicer that will facilitate the making of various types of splicers, in wires of different diameters and types, as for example wires both of the field or of the house wiring classifications.

One object of importance is to provide a wire splicer that will be exceedingly simple in construction, will be easy to operate, and will yet be designed to obtain good results in the splicing of wires.

A further object is to form the device in a manner such that it will accommodate itself to wires of different diameters.

A further object is to so design the wire splicer that it -will permit the swift and accurate making of either of 'of either splice referred to above.

Another object is to provide, in a splicing device of the character stated, means whereby the wire twisting means will automatically shift in the direction of its length longitudinally of the splice, to provide automatically for the progressively shortened length of the splice resulting fiom the correspondingly progressive spiral twisting of the wires.

Another object is to provide a splicing device as described that will be designed for manufacture at a very low cost, will be of a particularly simplified construction, will be capable of being carried about in a tool kit and operated while held in the hand, or will be capable, alternatively, of being easily secured to a work bench.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wire splicing device according to the present invention, as it appears when in use, a rotary, wire-gripping element of the device being shown in the position to which it moves as the splice approaches completion.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in which said element is shown in dotted and full lines in its initial and final positions, respectively.

" atent O" 2,949,939 Patented Aug. 23, 1960 Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view substantially on line 44 of Fig. 2, showing the wire clamp.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing the rotary element.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on line 6--6 of Fig. 2, showing the mounting of said rotary element in one end of the frame.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the device with the clamp in open position and one wire in place, the rotary element being retracted and a second wire being illustrated approaching the rotary element for engagement therein, preliminary to the making of an end splice as distinguished from the pigtail splice illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a pigtail splice made with the splicing device of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of an end splice, made with the device in the manner shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings in detail, designated generally at 10 is a stationary, U-shaped frame including a flat, rectangular base 12, which as shown may have a rectangular series of openings .13 adapted to receive screws or the like in the event a user desires to fixedly mount the frame upon a bench or similar support. Otherwise, the invention is, in actuality, capable of being held in the hand with one hand, while the rotary means is turned with the other hand for effecting a splice.

In any event, the base 12 is integral at its opposite ends with upwardly projecting, transversely disposed end walls 14, 16 lying in parallel vertical planes normal tothe longitudinal median of the base 12. Adjacent the upper end of the wall 16, and medially between the opposite sides thereof, a large through opening 18 is formed, said opening being in communication with a narrow, vertical slot 20 that opens upon the top surface of the end wall 16.

Journalled in the opening 18 is an elongated shaft 22, forming part of a rotary wire gripping means generally designated at 23 at one end. Shaft 22 is integral with a cylindrical enlargement 24 constituting a rotary head or knob disposed exteriorly of the space between the end walls. Fixedly secured to diametrically opposite portions of knob 24 are radially outwardly extending handles 26, 26.

At its other, inner end, shaft 22 receives a collar 28, which is detachably, fixedly secured to the shaft in flush relation with the inner end surface of the shaft, by means of a plurality of setscrews 30 threadedly engaged in the collar and bearing against the shaft at locations spaced apart circumferentially of the shaft. The purpose of the collar is to permit the shaft 22 to be inserted through the opening 18, from the right in Fig. 2, during assembly of the device. Thereafter, the collar 28 is applied and the shaft will now be limited in respect to its axial movement in opposite directions, by reason of the fact that the knob 24 and the collar 28 constitute abutments adapted to engage the end wall 16 on movement of the shaft in respectively opposite directions.

Formed in the collar 28 is a radial slot 32, disposed in alignment with a longitudinal, deep, narrow slot 34 of shaft 22, the slot 34 extending continuously through the full length of the shaft, and merging at the outer end of the shaft into a radial slot 25 of the knob 24.

The bottom wall of slot 34 is spaced -a short distance away from the axis of rotation of the shaft 22, and as shown in Fig. 3 is diametrically opposite an end-toend, small diameter bore 36 of the shaft 22. Equidistantly spaced from the slot 34 and bore 36 are endto-end longitudinal bores 38 of shaft 22, also diametrically opposite each other. The slot and the several bores 36, 38 are all parallel to the axis of rotation and are radially spaced to the same extent from said axis-of rotation.

In the end wall 14, there is formed medially between 3 the opposite sides thereof an upwardly opening, rectangular recess 40, and pivotally supported upon the top surface of the end wall 14 is a clamping or hold-down bar 42 formed medially between its ends with a depending projection 44 that engages in the recess 40. The

' bottom surface of the projection, as shown to best advantage in Figs. 4 and 7, is formed with side-by-side, downwardly opening recesses or depressions. There are three of these, including a pair of side depressions 46 and an intermediate depression 48. The depressions are transversely curved, correspondingly to the curvature of the insulation sheaths of wires to be spliced.

A pair of vertically disposed, threaded studs or pins 5b (Fig. 4) are threadedly engaged in upwardly opening, threaded bores of end wall 14 equidistantly, laterally spaced from recess 40. Studs 50 at their upper ends project above clamping bar 4-2, and receive wing nuts 52 that engage against the top surface of the clamping bar. One stud 50 extends through a laterally opening slot or recess 54 formed in one end portion of bar 42 (Fig. 7), while the other stud extends through an aperture 55 of the opposite end portion.

Bar 42 pivots on the stud 50 that extends through aperture 55, between the open position of Fig. 7 and the clamping position of Figs. 1 and 4. The projection 44 is of a width such that it will swing into and out of the recess 40 during movement of the bar between its respectively opposite extreme positions. Due to the laterally opening slot 54, the bar 42 will move into position under the wing nut 52 shown at the left in Fig. 7, as the bar 42 moves into its final, clamping position.

The wing nuts 52, at the time the bar is in the Fig. 7 position thereof, are adjusted upwardly on studs 50, so that the bar 42 can be raised while it is being swung from its Fig. 7 to its Fig. 1 position. As a result, a wire or wires disposed in the recess 40, in the positions shown in Figs. 1, 4 or 7, will not be in the path of the bar while the bar is being swung to its clamping position. When the bar is in its clamping position, the wing nuts are turned in a downward direction, so that the bar is forced downwardly into clamping engagement with the wire or wires.

It will be noted that the width of the projection 44 will be slightly less than the width of the recess 40, so that there will be sufficient clearance to permit the swinging movement of the bar between its opposite extreme positions.

A pair of wires is shown, by way of illustration of the invention, and are designated at 56, 58 respectively. The wires are identical to each other, in the illustrated embodiment, and if one desires to make a pigtail splice as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 8, one lays both wires 56, S8 in closely, laterally spaced relation within recess 40. Bar 42 is then swung to clamping position and shifted downwardly to clampably engage the wires in the two side depressions 46.

When the wires are inserted in the recess, their bared, transversely spaced ends are extended into the diametrically opposed bores 38 and engage in said bores for a substantial part of the length of the bores.

Then, assuming that at this time the rotary means 23 is in its dotted line position of Fig. 2, one begins to turn said rotary means. This spirally intertwists the exposed parts of the bared portions of the wires, in the space between the inner end of shaft 22 and the end wall 14. A pigtail splice 60 thus results.

As the rotary means is turned, the twisting of the wires will cause a progressive longitudinal contraction of the splice, and as previously noted, the means 23 is freely movabe in an axial direction from its dotted to its full line position of Fig. 2, to provide for an automatic take-up for the longitudinal contraction of the splice, while the wires are being twisted. Ultimately, means 23 will be in the full line position of Fig. 2, when the splice is completed. Then, bar 42 is swung to its Fig. 7 posi- Al. tion, and the two wires are pulled out of the bores 48, after which the splice may be trimmed and taped in the usual manner.

The same device is usable to advantage in forming a splice of the kind shown in Fig. 9. In this arrangement, the insulating sheaths are not to be in side-by-side relation, but rather are in end-aligned relation, having overlapping bared ends that are to be spliced as at 62.

In these circumstances, the wires 56, 58 are disposed in end alignment, with wire 56 being seated in recess 40 and with the bared part of wire 58 being shiftable downwardly into slots 32, 34, 20, and 25. The rotary means 23 is in its retracted position, initially, as shown in Fig. 7. Of course, said means will previously have been turned to a position aligning the several slots thereof with the slot 26 of end wall 16.

When the bared part of wire 58 has been engaged in the bottom of slot 34, with its free end projecting forwardly from shaft 22 in overlapping relation to the bared, exposed part of wire 56, the means 23 is ready to be rotated. It will be understood, as shown in Fig. 7, that previously, the bared part of wire 56 will have been engaged in the bore 36 diametrically opposite slot 34.

On rotation of the member 23, the splice 62 will be made. The free end of the wire 58, it is important to note, must be clampably engaged in recess 40, previously, by the bar 42 so as to be anchored against twisting movement. The middle depression -48 is proportioned for clarnpably receiving a bared wire.

When the splice is completed, the means 23 will have advanced itself axially toward the wall 14, to provide .for the desired take-up for the increasingly contracting length of the splice. Then, with clamp bar 42 swung to its released position, and the slots aligned with the slot 20, the spliced wires can be lifted out of the device and can be taped in the usual manner to protectively enclose the splice.

The device can, of course, be held in one hand, while the means 23 is being turned by the other hand, thus to provide a splicing device usable in the field or anywhere else desired, to permit the swift and accurate making of a splice of either of the two well-known types shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Still further, the device can be used for bench Work, by fixed mounting of the frame upon the bench, and can be readily detached from the bench to be packed in the workers tool kit, for field work. When used on the bench, the frame is adapted to be gripped by a vise, or by a conventional C-clamp, not shown, if it is not desired to extend the screws through the openings 13.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined, in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent A wire splicer, comprising an elongated U-shaped frame having spaced parallel end walls, a wire-clamping means disposed on one end wall of the frame, a rotary wire supporting means disposed on the other end wall of the frame, said clamping and rotary means being aligned longitudinally of the frame between the end walls thereof, said clamping means having spaced wire receiving recesses for removahly holding wires to be spliced, said rotary means comprising a shaft axially shiftable toward and away from the clamping means to provide a take-up for progressive contraction of wires resulting from intertwisting the same, said shaft having a plurality of longitudinal bores extending therethrough for receiving wires held by said clamping means, whereby said wires are adapted to be intertwisted upon rotation of said shaft, a pair of said wires being disposed in diametrically opposite bores, said shaft having a longitudinal groove extending for its entire length, said groove extending radially inwardly of the shaft short of its axis for receiving one wire to be spliced in end-to-end fashion with another wire held by said clamping means, in a bore diametrically opposite the groove, a cylindrical head secured on said shaft exterior of said frame, said head having a longitudinal slot extending radially therethrough and aligned radially with the groove in the shaft to permit lateral passage of said one wire into and out of said groove in the shaft, and a handle means secured to said head for rotating the shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Thomson Aug. 18, 1891 Noyes Feb. 21, 1899 Schilling Sept. 5, 1905 Fenlason May 2, 1916 Krueger May 13, 1924 Knight Jan. 6, 1925 Hopkins Apr. 9, 1929 Heller et al. Apr. 16, 1929 Bennett June 11, 1929 

